


Closer

by RaiseWraths



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26312761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaiseWraths/pseuds/RaiseWraths
Summary: Gavin Reed decides he owes Connor an apology.Things get more complicated when he realizes his feelings for Connor might be more than platonic.
Relationships: Connor/Gavin Reed
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	1. A Rocky Start

The one year anniversary of the Android Revolution had been a great excuse to get the whole department to brush up on their “android sensitivity training” and make a big deal to the public how supportive they were of their android citizens.

The mandatory seventy-two hours of training Gavin was forced to go through (everyone else had twenty-four, thanks for asking!) would have been liable to make him hate the things even more - that is if it hadn’t been for Sydney.

Following an unrelated incident involving an annoying and incompetent rookie cop, he had been “recommended” to go into therapy (in a sort of “put in your hours at her office or you can kiss your position goodbye” way). The HR department had called it a “stress-induced outburst”. Whatever.

Turns out, most of his _stress_ was sourced from - big surprise - fucking job-stealing Terminator bots. Like most employers, the DPD has updated it’s Equal Opportunity rules to include androids post-Revolution. But that was hardly any reason to quiet his fears. He probably had lucked out that Cyberlife hadn’t had the opportunity to program more Detective Bots before they’d been forced to hand over production to the very droids they produced. At least _his_ job was safe.

The same couldn’t be said for the beat cops, unfortunately. But, hey, people are way less inclined to employ androids when they’re required to pay them a fair wage and offer them insurance for repairs or whatever. He supposed that _did_ do something to level the playing field. Sydney had pointed that out to him.

They talked about stuff like that; what the androids' new role in the world was and how Gavin could relate to it. The entire world had gone topsy-turvy in the last twelve months, but at least he had started getting past the general android stuff.

Anderson had fought like hell to keep his new Robo-partner on after everything went down - and that left Connor the only android in the department Gavin was forced into regular contact with. A year ago it would have been agonizing. Actually it still was, but for a different reason.

Apologizing would normally be the first and simplest step. After everything Gavin had put him through, Connor certainly _deserved_ an apology. The task was nearly impossible though. Gavin couldn’t remember the last time he apologized to someone of his own free will. Plus, how would that conversation even go: “Hey, sorry I pulled my gun on you in the interrogation office, and punched you in the break room, and tried to kill you in the evidence locker. I have since come to see the error of my ways.”

No. There was no way. The best thing that Gavin could hope for was to simply make up for his behavior by giving Connor a wide berth. Easy enough. Especially since the android had been avoiding him for the past year.

They never spoke a word to each other. If they happened to be in the same room it was like each was invisible to the other. And Connor was the friendliest fucking person the precinct had ever seen. It took him approximately two weeks to become their new little mascot - everyone’s favorite Robo-Cop. 

Gavin couldn’t help but wonder what Connor thought of him. Was he completely aware of the guilt he felt, unable to utter a simple fucking apology? Or did he just read this as Gavin’s last act of defiance - a never-ending cold shoulder. Did it matter, even? If Connor were to try and talk to him maybe this whole apologizing thing would be a lot easier, but no matter how Connor treated him, he was always gonna be the "bigger person" given everything that had transpired between them. And Gavin felt infinitely tiny with this knowledge. 

Gavin pondered ways he could let Connor know he’d changed his mind without ever having to say a word. Anderson has replaced all his anti-android slogans on his terminal with stupid cheesy stickers claiming nothing but support for the android population. And the precinct had unveiled a Jericho flag in the break room, right next to the Pride flag. But both those would be asking just _way_ too much. He’s not the Ambassador to Androids and he’s not trying to suck up to an android partner so those were both out of the question. 

He told Tina all about his dilemma over drinks one night. 

“I don’t get it,” she said. “Why don’t you just fucking apologize?”

He rolled his eyes. “If it were that simple I would’ve _done it_ already.”

“It literally _is_ that simple, dipshit!” She nearly shoved him off his chair. “Tomorrow morning just walk up to him and say, ‘I’m sorry for my shitty behavior, Connor. I have many issues and I am trying to be a better person.’” She gave a definitive nod of her head and slurped at her drink. “Easy.”

Tina’s version was a little brash for his taste. But Sydney has been bugging him about apologizing for a while now. When he brought it up to her that week she wasted no time in helping him craft the perfect words to say. He spent that night memorizing them. If his anxiety got bad, it was easier to go into line-recitation - take all the charged emotion away and just get the goddamn words out before his overthinky and stubborn brain got the best of him. 

So the next day when Connor got up and walked into the break room, Gavin followed him. He was standing at the coffee maker. Fucking ironic.

They were the only ones in there, which was a relief; Gavin didn’t need any gawkers. This was hard enough already. He shuffled his feet, hoping Connor would address him first (yeah because _that’s_ a thing that always happens), but he didn’t turn around.

“Hey Connor,” he blurted out, sounding way more abrasive than he meant to. Connor jumped and swiveled, facing him. Gavin wished to God he could get a redo already, but he plunged on: “I know we got off on the wrong foot and I didn’t treat you very well back when we first met. . .”

Connor blinked at him, completely expressionless. Gavin lost his train of thought. Where had he been again? “And androids,” he fumbled for the next bit, “androids are people now.” There was something else to that, but he couldn’t remember with Connor staring right at him! “Which is. . . Yeah.” _Which is yeah_ , nice job, idiot!

“I guess what I’m trying-“ _Say you’re sorry._ “Well, what I mean is-“ _I’m. Sorry!_ “Just-“ Connor hadn’t said a word. His face had remained totally unreadable. What was going through his head? “We good?” Gavin finally croaked. And apparently that really was the best he could do. 

A thick silence settled over the room for a moment. And then Connor cleared his throat. "Thank you, Detective," he said, his face still neutral. What Connor had to thank him for, Gavin didn't have a clue; he never even really apologized.

"Sure," he muttered, wanting _out, out, OUT_ as quickly as possible. He started to leave when Connor's voice stopped him.

"I appreciate that you're trying to turn a new leaf." Gavin turned to face him again and Connor gave a hesitant, but not insincere smile. "I'm looking forward to our professional relationship."

"Yeah," Gavin managed to say before turning on his heel and booking it back to his desk.

* * *

It wasn’t an apology. Truth be told, it wasn’t anywhere close. Gavin didn’t know whether to be disappointed in himself or glad he was able to get anything out at all. The weight on him was heavier than ever. He had the words prepared, he should’ve been able to say it.

_What’s so fucking hard about saying two little words, dumbass? “I’m sorry.”_

It was pathetic. It really was. And to make matters worse, Connor hadn’t warmed up to Gavin any, but now he was giving him strange looks, like he didn’t know quite what to make of him. 

Tina said to just try again: “Corner him somewhere and really let him have it with that apology!” Gavin was beginning to think Tina wasn’t the best person to ask for advice on this subject.

Sydney told him he should wait and see what happens; Connor might just need time to absorb the new information and draw his own conclusions. “In the meantime,” she said, “remember that actions speak louder than words. Prove you’re making an effort. If you want him to be friendly to you, maybe you have to instigate conversation first.” It was a logical conclusion, to be sure, but utterly daunting to imagine actually doing. 

She told him it didn’t have to be this hard. Simple small talk where there would otherwise be uncertain silence could be a great place to start. Yeah, because small talk had always been Gavin’s strong suit. 

That’s how Gavin wound up here – in the break room, again. With Connor staring at him in that same way: looking totally indifferent. He had blurted out a question without thinking, the first thing that came to mind. _How’s your cases?_

“I mean the case you and Anderson are working on,” he found his sense at last. “The one with the android kid.” 

“Oh,” Connor finally said. His brow furrowed as he looked down. “Well, it certainly isn’t pleasant. Android children are especially hard to place. Jericho’s representatives and contacts are doing what they can to find them homes but it doesn’t help when the previous–”

He paused here. Gavin imagined he was struggling between ‘parents’ and ‘owners'.

“. . .Relations,” he decided, “are hesitant to give up custody.” 

“Yeah, that’s gotta be a tough situation.” _Dumb. Just so fucking dumb._ “How’s Anderson liking the break from Homicide?”

“It varies day to day,” he acquiesced. “But heading up the Android Crimes Department is only temporary. When things become more settled and the legislation catches up with the rest of the country there will hopefully no longer be a need for such a department. And he’ll go back to Homicide.”

“What about you?”

“That’s a good question, Detective,” Connor smiled. “Lieutenant Anderson and I have been pushing Captain Fowler to hire me on as the precinct’s Android Liaison. It’s a position I think would benefit all involved. It might make the transition as we phase out the ACD a little easier for everyone.” 

Gavin’s eyebrows crinkled. “Wait so what happens if you don’t get the whole ‘liaison’ thing?”

“I suppose if I wish to continue working here I’ll start at the Academy. Like everyone else.”

“No offense,” Gavin laughed, “But I can’t really see you as a beat cop. Besides,” he added, “you’re already better at this job than nearly everyone here.”

Connor looked surprised, but his lips curled into a small smile. “Well, thank you very much. And if what you say is true,” _It was._ “I guess I don’t have much to worry about.”

* * *

Sydney was right in the end. He just needed to break the ice a little - show Connor he was serious about making up for his past behavior. The small talk grew easier over time. By the time they got put on a case together, they could be classified as “work acquaintances”.

It was a messy case, and extremely delicate. Some fucking sicko had murdered a human-android couple. Naturally, the ACD was involved, and since Gavin had picked up the slack in Homicide in Anderson’s absence, he was there too, along with Deanna Morowe from the Hate Crime Division. 

“Our first android hate crime,” Deanna remarked, looking over the files.

Anderson grumbled, “Hardly our first. What do you think Connor and I have been dealing with all this time?”

“Oh, of course,” she backpedaled. “I just mean our first android hate crime with a human victim.” 

Anderson only sniffed in response. Gavin didn’t normally take the curmudgeon’s side, but in this case, he might have to concede; Someone from the Hate Crime Division ought to know better. 

“Anyway,” Connor redirected the conversation, “Detective Morowe, I was hoping you might be able to direct us toward the next steps. The representative sent from your division normally takes up the mantle to start. We can follow your lead from there.”

“Right, right,” she said. “Let me get some resources together and I can. . . er, get back to you.” She piled the files into her arms and scurried off.

Gavin didn’t even wait until she was out of earshot to ask, “What’s her fucking deal?” shoving a thumb in her direction.

Connor sighed. “Officer Leitch usually helps us out when it comes to hate crimes against androids. But Captain Fowler thought that the gravity of the situation called from someone of higher rank.”

“Seems pretty fucking spacey for a detective,” Gavin huffed. Maybe it wasn’t fair to say, since she had hardly had a chance to make an impression yet. But there was no contest from Anderson or Connor. “So why the fuck am I here?” Gavin continued. “Seems like between the three of you, you’ve got it covered.”

“You’re on Homicide for the time being aren’t you?” Anderson piped up.

“Yeah.”

“And a human’s dead, right?”

Gavin rolled his eyes. Anderson continued.

“Seems like this is your area then.”

“Yeah, thanks for the tour of the fucking DPD, asshole. You know what I mean. Why’s Fowler making me be here?”

Anderson opened his mouth to speak, brow set, but Connor spoke first. “Android hate crimes are to be expected. We’re doing what we can but the human citizens of Detroit are never surprised to hear about them. Whoever killed these people seems to have no qualms about killing humans connected to androids. It’s scary for them to hear about so Captain Fowler wants to be able to tell the press we’re putting all the best officers on the job.” 

Gavin and Anderson scoffed at the same time. “If Deanna is the best we got,” Gavin said, “then God save Detroit.”

“I hear that,” Anderson nodded.

Connor frowned at both of them but didn’t argue.

* * *

Gavin didn't know whether to feel offended or relieved when Fowler brought Deanna and Anderson to the forefront of the case, leaving him and Connor to do any footwork they needed. Really it shouldn't have been their job - but Gavin wasn't in the mood to argue and really, any time he didn't have to spend with the other two was alright by him. He could tell Connor was a little miffed, though. He was technically still Anderson's partner and the only android among the higher-ups of the precinct.

Anderson had asked them to visit the crime scene and convene with the officers already there. They'd already gone once before as a group, so there really wasn't a point, but the case was starting to look like it might be a dead-end. They were doing what they could.

There was no new information for them, just as Gavin had suspected. Connor was getting more agitated by the moment. As they left, Gavin turned to him. 

"I don't know, it just seems weird that Fowler'd ask Anderson to head up the investigation with Deanna. Wouldn't it make more sense to have both a human and an android? Since that's like," he waved an arm in the general direction of the crime scene they'd just left, "this whole thing's deal anyway?"

What was Gavin's goal exactly? Connor was typically either cheerful or serious. _Annoyed_ Connor was completely new and different, and he was curious to see what his thoughts were on all this.

Connor sighed. "Lieutenant Anderson has seniority. The people of Detroit are familiar with his career and they trust him in this investigation."

"You don't think Fowler is playing up too much to the human side of things?"

He couldn't help himself. Besides, he actually really wanted to know Connor's opinion on this. 

Another sigh. "I-I don't know for sure what. . . Well, it's our job to trust his judgment and do what he asks. Besides, Lieutenant Anderson is very capable. The investigation is in good hands." His tone made it clear that he would like the subject dropped and Gavin complied. "When we get back to the precinct, we can submit the information and wait for further instructions."

"Christ, what information? This whole trip was just a waste of time!" Gavin whined.

Connor snapped back, "Don't you think I know that, Detective?"

And here Gavin had been thinking Connor was incapable of speaking sharply. He was a little taken aback but he supposed he had deserved it.

There was a beat of silence before Connor said, "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."

Easy. So fucking easy for him. Gavin hadn't even found the courage yet to say those words to Connor and here the android was apologizing to _him_.

"It's cool," Gavin mumbled. The ride back was mostly silent. Gavin drove and Connor stared out the window. Gavin couldn't see his expression from where he was sitting. When they arrived back at the station Anderson waved them over.

"We don't have anything new for you, Lieutenant," Connor said, somewhere between annoyed and disheartened.

Anderson shook his head, a huge grin splitting his face. "Don't worry about it," he told them. "After the press conference, someone called in a tip. Let's go, we gotta talk to some guy named Conrad Blatnick."

Connor and Gavin glanced at each other and Gavin noted the sudden spark dancing behind Connor's eyes at the prospect of a breakthrough in their case. He knew the feeling; that sort of excitement is what had made him fall in love with this profession fifteen years ago. 

"Deanna's staying here," Hank continued. "She thinks her talents are better suited on this end."

Gavin rolled his eyes. "Whatever, let's just go already."

Anderson filled them in on the details of the tip as he drove them to Blatnick's address. He lived on the same street as the murdered couple. Apparently a neighbor had observed a hostile encounter between Blatnick and the couple at a block party shortly before their deaths. It very well could be nothing - the witness wasn't even sure what the argument had been about in the first place, but he had also mentioned that Blatnick had shown anti-android sentiment in the past. When he had heard the details of the case, particularly the date of their deaths, he remembered seeing Blatnick's car pull in quite late that night, apparently unusual for the man. It was definitely worth checking out, even just to ask a few questions. 

Blatnick didn't even wait for them to knock before making a run for it. Connor noticed him peeking through the window as they pulled up and he bolted further into the house as Connor and Anderson walked up to the door. Connor stilled for a moment before lurching for the side gate. 

"He just ran out the back door!" Rather than unlocking the gate, Connor launched himself over it. 

"Don't chase him, Connor!" Anderson shouted before running up the walk to pound on the door. They both knew Blatnick wasn't in there but they had no reason to run after him - the tip hadn't been damning (though even Gavin had to admit, running at the mere sight of the cops meant that you probably had something to hide). 

"See if you can go around," Anderson called to Gavin, who was already way ahead of him. Blatnick's house was on a corner, and if he had managed to run through his backyard, he might pop out onto the other street.

Gavin stopped mid-sprint when he heard Connor's voice ring out from somewhere past the fences: "Stop! Detroit Police!" about twenty feet ahead, there was a gate in the fencing and Gavin barrelled towards it and slipped through. There was quite a bit of rustling coming from ahead, and as he stepped into the yard they were in, he saw Blatnick turn on his heel and throw a punch. Connor caught it midair but staggered backward in surprise as he released Blatnick's wrist. Gavin darted forward, forcing Blatnick, who hadn't yet noticed him, to the ground. 

"Conrad Blatnick, you're under arrest for assaulting a police officer." He slapped a pair of handcuffs on the man's wrist and he seemed too shocked to struggle.

Connor's eyebrows knitted together and he remotely radioed Anderson, letting him know that they caught the suspect. As they were bringing Blatnick back around to the front of his house, the man started quietly crying - which Gavin always thought was worse than when they kicked and struggled and spat at him. He was all too happy to deposit him in the back of the car. Anderson was waiting for them.

"I let Deanna and Fowler know," he told them. "What exactly happened?"

Gavin was never one to mince words. "He hit your android so I took him down."

Anderson turned to Connor, aghast, but Connor only shook his head. " _Actually_ , he _tried_ to hit me but I blocked it. I don't think we necessarily have grounds to arrest him." They both turned to Gavin who crossed his arms defensively. 

Hank took a step backward. "Connor, I want you to check something." They walked back toward the porch and he pointed to a garden hose strewn across the nearby flower bed. "I noticed that," he gestured to the round spigot. There was a smear of blood on the valve - an untrained eye might have mistaken it for rust. "Bet you anything there's-"

"Thirium," Connor declared. "It's dried, but yes, it's there." He turned away to look at the car. Blatnick was watching them from the back seat, eyes wide. "Let's get him back to the station."

* * *

Deanna was beaming as they told her about the blood and the Thirium, she gleefully announced she would be sending a forensics team to the house immediately, before bouncing off to inform Fowler of the new developments. They all agreed to let Anderson handle the interrogation. Gavin was seated next to Connor, watching everything unfold through the two-way mirror. 

He only had to show Blatnick the pictures from the crime scene - the couple's dead bodies laying on the floor of their home - before the suspect broke down crying again. 

"Why'd you kill them?" Anderson asked. 

He shook his head, sobbing, "It's crazy, it's all so fucking crazy."

"Why?"

"Natalie was always such a nice girl I never thought-" his voice broke as he let out a wail. Natalie Rush - the twenty-eight-year-old human that had been murdered. 

Anderson sorted through the pictures and pulled forward one that showed the poor girl's face, pushing it toward Blatnick who only cried harder. "Why'd she have to die, Conrad?" His voice was eerily soft. "Because she was dating an android?"

Connor's hands gripped the arms of his seat.

"That thing," Blatnick managed to get out in between sobs. "It's an abomination!"

"Why did Natalie have to die?" Anderson repeated.

"I didn't mean to! She wasn't supposed to be there. She-" Blatnick's mouth snapped shut and he froze, a tear trickling down his face to land with a _plink_ on the table. 

Connor and Gavin both let out a breath. They got him. It was over.

* * *

Fowler was beyond pleased with their performance. By the time forensics had finished at Blatnick's house and Anderson had gotten all he could out of him, he, Connor, and Gavin were sufficiently exhausted with the process. Deanna was all too happy to make the necessary announcements to the press and to the victims' families. 

Anderson had yanked Connor into a tight hug as he exited the interrogation office, and all three exchanged a look of relief. Things could go back to normal now, thank _God_. "Send the recording to Deanna," Anderson said. "Let _her_ do the paperwork. Let's go, I need a drink."

Connor nodded and turned to face Gavin. "What do you say, Detective? Care to join us?"

Upon instinct, Gavin almost declined, but something stopped him. "Sure," he found himself saying.

And now he was sitting in some seedy-looking bar with a bunch of day-drinkers, Lieutenant Lush, and the over-eager Robo-Boy. 

Hank spoke into his glass, "You know, I normally hate how public these big cases tend to get - it all starts to feel like sensationalism after a while."

Gavin nodded. "People fucking love gore and all that shit. Fucking stupid."

"I don't have the experience either of you does regarding the DPD's public relations," Connor remarked. "But in this case, I'm grateful there was so much information available to the public. We never would've caught Blatnick otherwise."

Gavin signaled for a refill. "I don't know about _never_ , but it might have taken longer. I'm just glad this whole thing is over." A year ago Gavin would have shot himself before being teamed up with Connor and Anderson. Things were different now, though, he realized. Or maybe it was just him that was different. _Whatever_. He nodded at the bartender as he passed him the new drink, and quickly took a gulp before setting it back on the bar.

Anderson looked pensive for a moment before announcing, "I never thought I'd see the day, but Reed," he turned to him, "You're a pretty good cop. And you're not a complete ass." He held out his glass and Gavin scoffed but clinked his own against it anyway. 

"Yeah, same to you, old man."

Connor beamed. "As much as I hope never to have to deal with another homicide again, I do believe we make a good team." 

Hank demanded they make a toast to "newfound team-hood" before announcing he had to "take a leak," and ambled off to the bathroom. 

Connor scooted his stool closer to Gavin now that Hank's seat between them was vacant. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Detective-" _Great, all good conversations start that way_. "But I must say I was surprised you'd arrest Blatnick for attempting to hit me. It hardly seems protocol."

"Yeah well, you shouldn't have chased after him. Talk about _protocol_." 

Connor cast a sheepish gaze downward. "Yes, I realize that. Either way, I suppose things worked out in the end didn't they?" He looked up to catch Gavin's eye.

"Yeah, guess so."

The stare didn't stop. Five full seconds passed, then ten, and Gavin's face grew warm under Connor's gaze. "What?" he finally snapped.

Connor finally looked away. "Forgive me, I was just trying to figure something out."

Gavin opened his mouth to ask _what the hell_ Connor meant and Anderson slid in between them, seating himself back in his stool. 

"One more round and then we can all head home, what do you say boys?" he asked, clapping his hands together.

Connor smiled. "Yes, that sounds fine." He didn't meet Gavin's eye for the rest of the day.


	2. An Uncertain Middle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so I had this weird little idea in my head and needed to write it out before it drove me crazy. I've been reading stuff on ao3 for years but never published anything before this so this has been interesting. I didn't intend for the second chapter to take so long to write so I'm sorry for the delay! But anyway, thank you so much to everyone who read this far and an extra special thanks to everyone who commented and left kudos! It really does mean the world to me!

By the time December came around, Detroit had already been experiencing nearly constant snowfall. It wasn't the fluffy, white blanket of snow that made everyone want to stay inside, snuggled in blankets with a cup of hot tea, but the crunchy slush that lined the streets and turned more and more gray as the day wore on. Gavin would take cold weather over heat any day. However, he still reserved the right to grouse about it constantly to anyone who would listen.

Things were beginning to pick up at the station; New legislation was finally being pushed through. The Android Crimes Department was beginning the first stages of being phased out, their cases integrating into the existing criminal justice system. Fowler still hadn't made a decision regarding Connor's placement. Instead, he and Anderson were set to form a task force dedicated to assisting each department with their individual android crimes. After their success with Blatnick's case, Fowler had thought that Gavin might be a good addition. So he was stuck with the two all over again.

He wasn't sure what to expect; they had all seemed to work fairly well together before. And hell, things certainly had improved between the three of them recently. Not to meniton, Tina was the fourth and final member of the task force which certainly brought a ray of light to otherwise dreary winter days at the precinct.

Anderson was more curmudgeonly than ever - he was pissed that Connor hadn't been made an offer yet, and he was constantly grumbling about it, commenting that he had more than earned a permanent position at the station.

"It's not the end of the world, Lieutenant," Connor reminded him one day, after Anderson had refused to shut up about it for a full ten minutes. "I've told you before, I have no qualms about starting at the Academy. Everyone else here began there. Maybe I could learn something new."

Gavin was tired of this argument. He'd heard it too many goddamn times since the task force's conception merely three days before. But still, he couldn't help himself: "Can't you download new information straight into your head, like no problem? What the hell is the _Academy_ gonna teach you that you can't just get from the internet?"

Connor opened his mouth to respond but Tina piped in before he could. "I didn't really learn all that much there, unfortunately. I'll be honest, the best teacher is usually just experience so you're already off to a good start, Connor. But I _will_ say that it's a great place to meet people." She plopped herself down in a swivel chair and clasped her hands together in her lap. "You forge these connections with people - like, _crazy_ strong and _boom_ , bonded for life."

"I don't know about that," Gavin scoffed. 

"Just because being an abrasive asshole doesn't make you a ton of friends doesn't mean that there aren't friends to be made, Gav," she countered, rolling her eyes at him. Gavin instinctively glanced at Connor who was biting back a grin - whether at the jab or the nickname, he couldn't tell. "Besides," she continued, smiling, "Connor's a charmer. They'd love him there."

Connor let out a breathy chuckle and turned away, but Gavin caught a glimpse of the slightest blue tint to his cheeks. The conversation quickly moved on and the rest of the day whizzed by - but Gavin couldn't get that stupid fucking _blush_ out of his head. He didn't even know that androids _could_ blush, and the color had taken him quite by surprise - though in retrospect he shouldn't have been shocked, given he knew android blood to be blue. No, the reason that the color had stuck with him was because. . . well, because it was Connor. Any sort of programming he might have had to produce a blush like that would've made his skin turn pink, like a human's. But _blue_. . . he could tell that an RK800 android wasn't designed to blush. And yet Connor did. 

Stupid, it was all so stupid. Gavin scolded himself his entire ride home. _It makes perfect fucking sense_ , he thought. _Isn't the whole point that he's like, his own person now?_ His own surprise at a such a natural human reaction coming from the android reminded him how far he still had to go with this whole thing - androids being alive, androids being _people_. And there Connor was at the center of it all: the sweetest fucking thing to have ever walked the Earth. A testament to Gavin's past wrongdoings. 

He would have to try harder. To be better. It had been a lackluster effort so far but not anymore, things were about to change. And he was gonna be the one to change them. 

* * *

"I'm going to the breakroom, do you want anything?" The question hung heavy in the air. It was a normal thing to ask a colleague one was trying to be friendly with. Not so much when said colleague is an android who doesn't. fucking. eat or drink. anything. _Idiot._

Connor got over his surprise quickly and shook his head once. "No, but thank you," he said turning back to case files they'd been poring over moments before, his brow slightly furrowed.

"M'kay," Gavin winced as he turned away, but a voice stopped him.

"Actually, Detective, I would love a cup of coffee if you don't mind." 

Gavin turned back around and saw that Connor was struggling to hold back a smile. "Yeah, okay," he chuckled, before rolling his eyes and marching off to the breakroom. 

It was obviously a joke - about the time that Gavin had punched Connor at their second meeting. And yeah, two could play at that game. 

He plopped a steaming cup of shitty breakroom coffee in front of Connor and sat back in his seat, his own coffee in hand. 

"Oh wow, you actually did it," Connor remarked, grasping the pseudo-styrofoam cup. 

Gavin shrugged. "I didn't know androids drank coffee." He hid his smirk by taking a sip.

"They don't, as far as I know. But I appreciate the gesture." 

Gavin gave a mock little bow-wave with his hand and they turned back to their cases. His mind was elsewhere, though. Whirring with everything that had just transpired. _It's just a cup of coffee_ , he reminded himself. _It's not like it makes up for anything_. And it didn't. It _absolutely_ didn't. But it was a start. And that meant something.

Apparently, it had meant something to Connor, too. The next day, he set a cup down in front of Anderson (as always) and then another in front of Gavin (as, uh _never_!) as nonchalant as anything. "Thanks," Gavin mumbled, at a loss for what to say. Connor only nodded and they didn't mention it again.

Only thing is, it _kept happening_. It was now a daily occurrence. This weird little coffee-peace-treaty-ritual thing. Gavin had no idea how to react. It was too late in the game to make a big deal out of it, but he felt bad just accepting the symbolic olive branch without much more than a meager thank-you. 

Sydney convinced him to let it go. To find other ways he could pay back Connor's kindness - be friendlier, more helpful, whatever. Gavin told her how things had begun to shift between them ever since the task force started: Connor went out of his way to talk to him, about more than just work, too. And when Gavin approached, Connor would smile and do the whole "Hello Detective," classic greeting he always did.

 _Work acquaintances_ had started the slow transformation into _work friends_ , Gavin was both surprised and pleased to discover. And even that could change, too. Tina had been adamant that the whole task force accompany her to a Christmas-themed trivia night at a bar she loved. 

It became clear, upon entry, that the place she had brought them to was a lesbian bar, which she had failed to mention. Gavin's feet stopped dead in his tracks and Connor stopped just behind him, before Anderson nearly toppled them all over, not noticing the traffic jam clogging up the doorway. 

"Tina, what the hell?" Gavin stammered.

"What?" she asked, gripping his arm and hauling him further into the building. "What difference does it make? We're still here to win and win _big_."

"Isn't the grand prize a $75 gift card to this place?" Anderson asked, stepping inside after them. 

"Yeah, so?"

"Well what are _we_ ," he jammed a thumb between himself, Connor, and Gavin, "gonna do with a gift card to a lesbian bar?"

"I thought you were going to help me win and let me keep the prize." She shuttled them through to an empty table where the game was being set up. "Given that it's Christmastime and all, I figured you'd jump at the opportunity to show some generosity of spirit." She sat on one end of the table and patted the chair beside her invitingly.

There was a pause as each of her colleagues weighed their options. Finally, Anderson bellowed out a laugh and sat next to her. "C'mon guys," he implored, "we're already here, might as well."

Connor shrugged and seated himself and before Gavin knew what he was doing, he too was sitting at the table, shaking his head in disbelief. 

Tina couldn't stop grinning. "Even if we don't win, I'm still really glad you guys came." She reached across the table to flick Gavin's arm and he swatted her hand away but smiled all the same.

* * *

They lost. They lost so bad. No one could remember a goddamn thing about the old Rudolph special, or the historical significance of eggnog. Tina didn't seem too broken up about it in the end; throughout the course of the game she had introduced them to quite a few different people - Gavin was unable to keep track of all their names or the funny anecdotes Tina told about them to distinguish one friend from another. And _by God_ , she seemed to know _everyone_ in the bar. He told her as much when they went to get more drinks and shoved a playful elbow into her ribs, which she returned in kind, telling him he would have to stop being such a prude if he expected to be invited to any more trivia nights. 

"Oh yeah, I'd definitely be missing out. . ." he rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and took a sip off one of the beers the bartender had placed in front of them.

Missing his sarcasm, her face fell. "You're not having a good time?" 

"No, no, that's not what I meant! No, it's fun. I'm having a good time," he assured her. 

"Oh good," she smiled. "I thought it would be fun to get you guys out of the station every once in a while. You're all so stuffy." Her gaze drifted toward Connor and Anderson, who were seated back at their table, talking animatedly. 

Gavin nearly groaned. "I'm sure glad you're on the task force, Tina. I don't know why Fowler is making me do this."

"Hey, wait a second," she pushed at his shoulder and his drink sloshed onto the bar. "I thought you were trying to 'make amends' or whatever the fuck."

He accepted the napkin a sympathetic stranger seated nearby offered him, mopping up the spill that Tina hadn't been bothered to notice. "Yeah, I am. It's just a little. . . I don't know-" he wadded up the wet napkin and tossed it toward the trash bin behind the bar, where it flopped sadly onto the ground, six inches short of its target. The bartender shot him a glare and he gave a sheepish wave he hoped counted as an apology. "Awkward I guess."

"Psssht -" she shook her head. "Bullshit. I've seen it. You guys seem fine to me." He watched her fumble to get the straw of the mixed drink she'd ordered into her mouth, taking a long drawn-out sip. "Even like - friendly. " She hiccupped. 

He only shrugged and took another sip, so she continued: "I guess Connor brings it out in everybody, even a grumpy little bitch like you."

He nearly choked. "What's that s'posed to mean?" he sputtered. 

"I think you know exactly what it means," she winked. Gavin did not know what she meant. He had no idea what she meant. Not a clue. Not the tiniest inkling of what she might have picked up on - because he hadn't-he didn't-Connor was a colleague and nothing more. To insinuate that _perhaps_ Gavin might have lingered on his smile just a little longer than he ought to, to assume that there might be something _else_ going on entirely. . .

His mind raced while he stared blankly at her. He saw confusion flicker across her face and she elaborated: "I mean like, he's just so charming and sweet. You can't resist wanting to be his friend. It's like scientific law."

 _Friend_. Oh. That's what she'd meant. _Good_. 

"What, you disagree?"

"No, no," he found his words at last. "No, I agree."

"Okayyy," she quirked an eyebrow and gathered the drinks in her hands. "I think I gotta cut you off, you're being weird."

He gave a half-hearted chuckle and helped her bring the drinks back to the table where Anderson and Connor were waiting.

* * *

Despite his initial hesitations, Gavin ended up liking the place a little. Everyone was overly friendly (which _did_ get old after a while) but Tina was having the time of her life so he couldn't complain. But she kept leaving for a few minutes at a time to talk to whomever, which left Gavin alone with the other two. He had no idea what to talk about so he just stared into his glass. 

Connor cleared his throat, "I'm thinking of going in early tomorrow. Chris has been trying to work on the Pelofsky case and he asked for some tips."

"Is that the one with the mugging?" Anderson asked.

"Yes. I warned him that he has to be careful that the suspect doesn't self-destruct in custody. I offered to supervise the interrogation to measure his stress levels but I think Chris would rather try on his own."

"They really ought to make some sort of workshop for the whole department." Anderson leaned back in his chair and took a long swig.

"Yeah but how much does that actually do to help solve stuff as it comes up?" Gavin asked. He turned to Connor. "This task force is all well and good but you're basically already acting as the 'android liaison' of the department."

Anderson threw an arm out enthusiastically. "Yes! That's exactly what I've been saying. I don't get why Jeffrey's been dragging his feet on this."

Gavin barely contained an eye-roll, regretting having brought the subject up in the first place. Luckily, Tina came to their rescue just in time: "Whoa! Is that work-talk I hear? No. Absolutely not! We are _supposed_ to be having _fun_!" She stood between Gavin's and Connor's chairs, placing a hand on either shoulder and shaking them slightly. 

Connor laughed good-naturedly and assured her that they were definitely having fun and that all work-talk would cease immediately. 

She sidled into her own seat and stretched her arms across the table, dragging her previously forgotten drink towards her. "You know we may have overestimated our trivia skills. . ." She took a sip.

"Hang the fuck on," Gavin laughed. "How are we supposed to remember _where_ the parents were going in _Home Alone_? I haven't seen that movie in forever."

She grinned at him through her straw. "I expected better from you, Gav. You _do_ remind me of Kevin McCallister from time to time."

"In what way?" Connor asked, smiling mischievously. 

She giggled into her glass. "They're both little shits." 

Gavin scowled at her half-heartedly before glancing at Connor who was barely stifling a chuckle. 

"Go ahead and laugh," he waved his arm in Connor's direction. "But you hung us out to dry back there. Can't you fucking google all the questions?"

Connor mocked offense. "Are you suggesting I would _cheat_?"

"No, but since you're so goddamn perfect I would have assumed you'd have more general knowledge."

"Unfortunately, Cyberlife did not deem Christmas trivia important enough to include in my programming. And I agree with Officer Chen; I expected better from you, too. What's _your_ excuse, Gavin?" Tina and Anderson were laughing to themselves, watching the interaction unfold from the other side of the table - but they might as well have been on another planet for as much as Gavin noticed their presence; he stammered some pathetic comeback about being occupied with much more important things in life, so sorry he couldn't remember the names of all seven of Santa's reindeer. It was the best he could come up with at the moment - Connor was smiling at him, and his brown eyes were glittering with a sense of playfulness that Gavin had never seen before. _Fuck_.

"Eight," Connor told him, ignoring the raucous chatter from the other two.

"What?"

"Eight reindeer. Nine if you count Rudolph. Which I think we should." He winked and turned to face the rest of the table. _Double fuck_.

Gavin coughed and turned away, toward the bar. His face felt inexplicably warm and he chalked it up to the alcohol. He could hear the others conversing, Anderson and Connor giving Tina a hard time about how bright her pink-colored cocktail was, and she in turn declared beer "toxic swill". Gavin couldn't tell if he wanted to stay and enjoy the rest of this night that had been going pretty well so far, or _run, run, run from whatever the fuck had just happened to him_.

The decision ended up being made for him. Anderson checked his watch. "Oh shit. We gotta go let Sumo out. I can't believe it's already eleven!" Connor looked crestfallen and Anderson turned to him. "You can stay if you want - catch a ride home with one of these two," he waved between them, "or just get a cab."

Connor shook his head, rising from his seat and gathering their coats. "No, no, I think it's time to go." They hesitated at the table and Tina pulled them both into a strange half-hug from her seated position, which looked more than a little awkward, though no one seemed to mind. "Thank you for tonight, Tina. It was a lot of fun," Connor smiled, and Anderson reiterated the sentiment.

"Anytime, Anytime."

"It was nice to see you, Gavin," Connor said.

"Yeah, you too. See you guys at work."

As they walked out, Connor turned and gave a little wave. 

"Hey!" Tina hollered after them, raising her glass in their direction. "Let's do it again sometime!" As they disappeared out the door, she turned to Gavin and shrugged smugly. "And they said it couldn't be done."

He couldn't help but laugh. "Who said that?"

"I'm pretty sure _you_ did, asshole!" she nudged him under the table with her foot, not-so-gently.

"Well, you _do_ love proving me wrong, don't you?" he asked sarcastically, reaching down to rub at his shin.

"That I do!" she practically cackled, before swirling the melting ice in her nearly-empty glass. "How about another round?"

"Fine. But does it have to be here?"

"Aww, _fiiine_ ," she rolled her eyes. "Bluesie is across the street. That okay?"

Gavin nodded and they packed their things up and Tina made her final round, bidding farewell to everyone she had spoken to. Bluesie might not have been Gavin's favorite bar in the city, but it was the kind of place where people mostly kept to themselves. And Bluesie would have a trivia night when hell freezes over, so there's that too. 

Tina was adamant that they begin winding down their night, so they both ordered a glass of wine when they sat up at the bar. The whole bar was bathed in a warm glow and Blues (no surprise there) could be heard playing from a speaker somewhere. On Saturday nights, they often had a live band, but the stage in the corner sat vacant for the time being. The atmosphere had transformed giggly-drunk Tina into pensive-drunk Tina. "You know," she began thoughtfully, "I'm really glad we did this. Like, _really_ glad. I wasn't sure about it at first, but by _God_ , you guys needed a little bit of fun."

Gavin was a little surprised to find that he agreed. "Yeah, thanks for," he gestured vaguely, "orchestrating all this. Worth it, I think."

"Mmm," she hummed, taking a sip. "I don't know what you were so worried about. Things seem to be smoothing over just fine." Gavin stared blankly at her. "With Connor I mean."

"Oh." He turned toward the shelf of bottles behind the bar, pretending to study the labels.

"Unless I missed something?" she continued, never one to leave a stone unturned (which makes her a great officer and a better friend, just maybe not the kind of friend Gavin needed at that moment - what he needed was the kind of friend who could leave well-enough alone long enough for him to sort his shit out on his own).

"No, yeah," he nodded. "For sure."

Her brow wrinkled and she gave him a gentle shove with her elbow. "Uh-huh. So how's that going? You guys seem pretty chill with each other at work. Don't think I haven't noticed the coffee! Pretty symbolic, no?"

The coffee was a peace treaty - a promise to maintain a good working relationship, which Gavin could totally get behind. He wasn't about to conclude that the outing had been a bad idea, but things had been drifting dangerously toward _friend_ territory and, even more terrifying, had been the unsettling feeling of his heart plummeting into his stomach when Connor winked at him. 

"I guess," he answered automatically, still preoccupied with recalling the way Connor had smirked at him while they poked fun at each other, that enticing mirthful glimmer in his eyes.

"You okay?" Tina's voice dredged him back to the present. He felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, what?"

"Your face got all red. I thought you might have been choking on air or something."

"No," he croaked and cleared his throat. "I'm good."

She withdrew her hand and fixed him with a suspicious sideways glance. "You're getting all weird like you sometimes get." Tina really had a _way_ , with words. She considered for a moment and spoke with renewed conviction. "I'm reminded of a time in our lives."

_Don't fucking bring that up._

"When there was a certain cop we both knew. . ."

_Don't._

"I believe his name was -"

_Don't fucking say it._

" _Officer Darren Edwards_."

_Fuck._

"I don't know what you mean," Gavin lied.

"Ooooh, I think you do, Gavin Reed!" She reeled on him and pushed his shoulder as if that would jostle the information right out of him. "You need to level with me right now."

"Fuck, Tina, there's nothing to say. _Literally_!" he shook his head, defeated.

"No, no, I know you. And you start to get like this - weird and awkward - whenever you have a crush so you better tell me right now before I start to draw my own conclusions."

"I don't have a fucking _crush_ ," he growled. 

"Call it whatever you want." He could tell that she was suppressing a smile. "But _I_ say you have the hots for a certain android detective."

If Gavin's ever been known to have a breaking point this was probably it. Within ten minutes of having him alone, she had somehow puzzled together a conclusion based on information that was _brand-fucking new_ to even Gavin himself. Naturally, he had no clue how to react. 

"You're fucking crazy," he told her, but the words were void of any toxicity, and therein lay the truth. Tina clung to it like a lifeline.

"Oh, but he _is_ cute, isn't he? I don't know, man, I'm rooting for you over here. Things could really start to go your way."

"I don't know what you think 'my way' is," Gavin countered, "but I'm opting to change the subject."

She practically squealed with delight and he felt himself blush. "The words of only a guilty party! Fine, I'll let you change the subject, but on one condition."

"Whatever it is, no."

"Hear me out," she implored. Gavin sighed. "My condition is that you have to admit that Connor is hot. And then you can change the subject to whatever you want, okay?"

"Hell fucking no."

"Then we can always keep talking about your _crush_."

Gavin wouldn't take this from anyone else. Tina was his closest friend and she knew how to push _every single one_ of his buttons, and she did so with such precision and deftness that Gavin would almost be impressed if he weren't so pissed off.

His words were barely a murmur. " _He's hot, okay_."

She grinned. "Think he's a good kisser?"

" _Change the subject_. _Now._ "

* * *

Gavin usually ended up working Christmas Day. It felt wrong to not volunteer when most of the other officers had family obligations. What excuse did he possibly have? _Sorry Fowler, but my cat is expecting me for dinner, maybe next year_. No. Besides, Tina agreed to work this year too, since she was in between girlfriends. Her mom was hosting a Christmas dinner back in California but Tina opted not to go. "Erin and her husband are gonna be there with the new baby, they'll be plenty busy without me."

He pushed her to go anyway, but secretly was glad when she refused. At least Christmas wouldn't be a total bust. 

There were a few other officers there on Christmas morning, a lot of newbies that Gavin didn't know and oddly enough, Anderson and Connor as well. Gavin figured Fowler had asked Anderson to be there and supervise for him, but there was no accounting for Connor. No one felt like working much, and the phones were dead, so they mostly sat around, chatting about this or that or scrolling through their social media timelines. Tina and one of the android desk ladies (he could never tell them apart) climbed on top of Chris' desk, and Tina cleared her throat, facing the bullpen.

"Hey!" She had the room's attention. "So, Merry Christmas first of all." She was grinning, holding onto a handful of bright metallic gift bags. "Willow and I thought it would be cool to do little gifts since we're all stuck here today. Why not have fun with it, right?"

The android girl (Willow, presumably) held up the gift bags she was holding. "We're going to pass them around. Merry Christmas guys!" It was a nice gesture. People seemed to like the idea at any rate. Gavin could see them glancing around, smiling at one another.

As Tina clambered down, Willow not far behind, she pointed at Gavin, who was seated at his own desk, his ankles crossed on the desktop. "You want to help?"

"Fine," he swung his feet down to the floor and stood, holding out a hand which she deposited some of the bags onto. "Who's this for?" he asked, squinting at the handwriting.

"Webber," she pointed at one of the officers a few desks down. 

Gavin scrutinized the next tag. "And this?" he asked, showing it to her. "Which one's Johnson?"

"For chrissake, Gav, just call them out if you don't know." She walked away and began handing out the bags.

He rolled his eyes and asked, projecting into the room. "Okay, we've got Webber and Johnson. Come get it."

And he gave out nearly all of them like this until his stupid breath hitched in his stupid throat when he read Connor's name scrawled in Tina's terrible writing. He yelled it out and Connor grinned and came bounding up, taking the shiny green bag with a gleeful "Thank you so much!" Tina had finished passing out the rest by then and approached just as he handed it off. 

"Go ahead and open it!" she prompted, waving her hands enthusiastically. Connor reached beyond the white tissue paper and pulled out a slim cardboard box. "It's a gingerbread house kit!" Tina announced.

"Wow, thank you so much, Tina! I can't wait to use it." He smiled, studying the pictures on the box. 

"Traditions and all that," she continued.

"Traditions?" Gavin asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Er, yes, I was telling Tina that I really wanted to embrace all the Christmas traditions this year. I missed a lot of them last year. But I've had more time to prepare so it'll be better now." 

"So how'd you end up saddled with the Christmas shift then?" 

He merely shrugged in response, sliding the box back into the bag. "I don't mind too much. Besides," he held up the gift bag and turned to Tina, "this makes it worth it for sure!" He walked back to his desk and Gavin nudged Tina in the arm.

"Hey, I didn't get one," he told her.

She clicked her tongue. "About that. . . Santa decided you were naughty this year so you're getting coal. . ."

" _Aw, rats_ ," he shook his head exaggeratedly. 

"Just kidding," she giggled. "But your gift is forthcoming. Just wait, huh?" She backed away, pointing at him and smiling mischievously. 

* * *

As the day wore on, Gavin had completely forgotten about his supposed gift from Tina, until she plopped a small round container on his desk in front of him. It was filled with colorful swirls - he assumed they were some sort of fancy gumdrop, but the packaging was in French so he couldn't read it.

"Here's your gift," she said. A smug look on her face.

"Yum, thank you," he nodded, going to open it.

She smacked his hand away. "You don't get to _eat_ them. That's not the gift."

"What?"

She tilted her head, indicating and Gavin followed her meaning across the room to Connor's desk. He was assembling the gingerbread house with extreme focus. "My gift to _you_ is your gift to _him_."

Gavin was unamused. "Tina, he can't even eat this stuff."

"It's for his _house_ , dummy." She rolled her eyes and pushed the package toward him. "Just go give it to him, okay?"

Gavin weighed his options. He could refuse outright. He could tell her to give them to Connor herself. He could chuck them across the room toward Connor's desk and hope they'd hit their mark without him having to actually go over there. What would he even say? 

As if she were reading his thoughts, Tina made a suggestion. "Just go over there. Say something charming like you're prone to say. Or better yet, a simple, 'Merry Christmas' will do just fine."

"Fine," he grumbled. She made as if she were going to follow him but instead, walked back over to where Willow was standing across the room - probably to get a better view of the disaster about to take place. Gavin knew that Tina meant well - her attempts at being a wingwoman were nothing short of herculean. Gavin just hoped that he was worthy of her efforts. 

Connor didn't even turn as he approached, he was so lost in adjusting a roof piece _just so_. 

Gavin shuffled his feet and he still didn't see him. 

"Uh, hey," he finally said. And Connor turned in his seat to face him, his hands still frozen on the roof of the house.

"Hello, Detective Reed."

Gavin gestured to the gingerbread house. "It's looking pretty good."

Connor looked back to it and finished adjusting the pieces. "Thank you! It's fun to put together. I don't think I would've gotten the chance to do one this year if Tina hadn't thought of it."

"Yeah. Well, uh, here." Gavin wasn't sure what to say, so he placed the package on Connor's desk. "To decorate it. If you want."

Connor's mouth fell open slightly and he picked up the container. "Wow! Thank you! They're wonderful!" He smiled up at Gavin and Gavin felt like he might pass out.

Suddenly, Connor shifted his chair to one side. "Here, sit," he implored, yanking a chair from an empty desk nearby over. "You can help me put them on if you want."

Gavin really didn't know how to answer. So he didn't say anything. He sat in the chair and watched as Connor carefully opened the package and shook out some of the little gumdrops onto the paper towel on the desk. Gavin picked up a purple one hesitantly. "Where do you want them?" he asked.

"Anywhere is fine," Connor answered. "But I was thinking they'd look good on the corners of the windows." Gavin nodded, agreeing with that conclusion and they started the process. There were five windows in total. By the time Connor had finished three, Gavin was still working on the one, pressing a green gumdrop gently into the frosting and holding it there until he was certain it wouldn't pop off.

"You know," Connor said, chuckling, "you don't have to hold them there that long."

"I'm just making sure they don't come off. You know, like a command strip."

Connor wrinkled his brow and looked quizzically at him. Before Gavin had a chance to explain what he meant, he felt something brush the top of his head. Instinctively, he swatted it away and then looked up. It was a bundle of mistletoe, now swinging back and forth over their heads. His eyes followed the string it was tied to, to a stick in the hands of - that android, Willow. And Tina was standing right next to her, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Connor had noticed the mistletoe too, and now they were both staring at the other two. "What the hell, Tina?" Gavin managed to say. 

She ignored his question. "It's mistletoe," she announced as if that weren't abundantly clear. "You're supposed to kiss now." Gavin's cheeks were burning. He shuddered to think of how red he must have appeared.

Connor wasn't faring any better. His mouth hung open in surprise and there was a distinct blue tint to his face.

Willow gave an airy chuckle. "She means you two. Go on, then."

If Gavin's brain had been working, he might've made a quip about sexual harassment in the workplace. But as it happened, his brain had decided to go on vacation, and he just sat there like an idiot. 

Connor looked across the desk at Anderson, who was watching the events unfold with an unreadable expression. 

"It's _tradition_ ," Tina reminded them. 

Anderson laughed and shook his head. "She's right." Connor stared at him in disbelief. "It _is_ tradition. Isn't that your whole thing at the moment?"

"Well, yes - but -" Connor stammered.

"Oh, c'mon," Tina groaned. "What's the big deal, it's just a kiss. You guys are a bunch of prudes." If Gavin knew anything about Tina it was that if she wanted something, she got it. They were about ten seconds from her starting a "KISS, KISS, KISS" chant, he could tell. 

Connor finally looked shyly back at him. "I don't know if you -"

"I don't mind," Gavin found himself saying. "Just to shut her up." Time slowed down as he watched the words register for Connor, who leaned forward and wet his lips slightly. Gavin's hands were resting on his knees and he felt the awkwardness of this position only a beat too late because Connor's lips brushed against his own. He kissed him. They were kissing. It was so soft and barely there and then, before he even had a chance to fully realize that _this was actually happening_ , it was over and Connor pulled away, his cheeks shining a bright blue. 

And it was over, just like that. Gavin had barely even shut his eyes. 

"Boo, that was the lamest kiss ever," Tina's voice snapped him back to reality. "Let's see more tongue-action!"

Anderson stepped in then. "Alright now, let's not push it," he said, half-jokingly. 

She gave an exaggerated sigh and walked towards them. Connor was staring decidedly at a blob of frosting on the desktop. Gavin felt Tina's hand on his shoulder and he stood, following her back to his desk, not sure whether he should thank her or smack her.

"There now," she said quietly, plopping herself down on his desk, her legs swinging over the edge. "How did you like your Christmas present?"

"I don't even know what to say to you," he answered, which was the honest-to-God truth.

"How about 'Thank you' for a start?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ok, I KNOW I said 2 chapters but this second chapter is just really long compared to the first so we are doing three. Plus I feel bad having all this written out and not published - I've just been super busy! But yeah, sorry not much happens in this chapter, it's really just building up to the last one. Let me know what you guys think!

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man, I don’t know what it is but I just am so drawn to Gavin’s character (That certain je ne sais quoi that gremlin characters have, I suppose). I gave him therapy because he desperately needs it <3


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